Special Event Days
- 2nd Week- Tell Someone
They're Doing a Good Job Week
- eve of 25th day of Hebrew
month of Kislev- Hanukkah
- 6- Feast of Saint Nicholas
celebrated in several countries in Europe
- 12- Guadeloupe Day in
Mexico
- 13- St. Lucia Day in
Italy
- 21 or 22- Winter Begins
- 21- Forefather's Day
in New England in honor of landing of Pilgrims at
Plymouth
- 24- Christmas Eve
- 25- Christmas Day
- 26- Boxing Day, National
Holiday in England, Australia, New Zealand + few
others
- 26- St. Stephen's Day,
England
- 26 to Jan 1-Kwanzaa,
celebration by black Americans to honor customs of
Africa
- 31- You're All Done Day
December Facts
- Birthstone- Turquoise
- Flower- Poinsettia
- 5- 1818, Illinois admitted
to the Union
- 7- Japanese forces attach
Pearl Harbor in 1941
- 8- Chinese Nationalists
flee the mainland, moving their capital to Formosa
(Taiwan), 1949
- 8- John Lenin of the
Beatles shot and killed in NY City, 1980
- 11- 1816, Indiana admitted
to the Union
- 12- Marconi received
the 1st radio signal sent across the Atlantic Ocean,
1901
- 14- 1819, Alabama admitted
to the Union
- 17- Orville Wright made
1st heavier-than-air flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903
- 18- Amendment 13 ending
slavery was proclaimed in 1865
- 20- The US took over
Louisiana in 1803
- 21- The Pilgrims landed
at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620
- 25- Christmas, celebrated
by Christians as the birthday of Jesus Christ
- 28- 1846, Iowa admitted
to the Union
- 29- 1845, Texas admitted
to the Union
December
Birthdays
- 1- Lee Trevino (1939)
- 1- Woody Allen (1935)
- 5- Walt Disney (1901)
- 8- Sammy Davis, Jr. (1925)
- 10- Emily Dickinson (1830)
- 12- Frank Sinatra (1915)
- 16- Margaret Mead (1901)
- 21- Phil Donahue (1935)
- 25- Issac Newton (1642)
- 26- Steve Allen (1921)
- 29- Ted Danson (1947)
- 31- John Denver (1943)
"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads."
Attributed to Clement
Clarke Moore
Seasonal
tree
Submitted by Kathleen Brigham
of Little Flower Manor on May 27, 2003
Equipment: Brown
poster board, construction paper, colored foam,
paints, markers, etc.
Objective: Seasonal
orientation, artistic self expression, sharing
ideas.
Description: Make
a bare tree from poster board, ( any size,
ours is about 3 feet high) Each season and
or holiday gather for ideas on what to put
on the tree, ( affix items with ""sticky
putty"" to remove easily) Example:
sponge paint leaves for the fall, cut out holly
from foam or construction paper for X-mas,
dreidles for Hanukah, flowers & birds in
spring, snowmen, suns etc. Decorate tree with
items. This makes a good central point near
perhaps the rooms bulletin board, is colorful
and good source of season orientation.
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Christmas
Canes
submitted by Ronda Sylvia on September 4, 2001
Equipment: Candy
canes, Strips of fabric, glue.
Description: Rip
fabric in 1 inch strips about 20inchs long. Glue
one end of fabric to top of candy cane. Then
start wrapping fabric around candy cane over
lapping some. When you get to the end glue to
fabric to the bottom. Let dry. Then let the residents
hang them on the Christmas tree. This activity
also stirs memories of Christmases of the past
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Scented Ornament
submitted by Jeanne Hastings of Hastings Recreation Services, Inc.on December
15, 1999
Size of Group:
small or large
Equipment:
Cinnamon, apple sauce, bowl spoon, wax paper,
rolling pin, cookie cutters
Objective:
Sensory Stimulation, Reality orientation, Cognitive
enhancement, relaxation, increase hand strength
and flexibility
Description:
Place cinnamon in a bowl. Slowly mix the apple
sauce in with the cinnamon You should have
a dough like consistency. Place dough on wax
paper and place another piece of wax paper
on top. Roll the doe with a rolling pin. Cut
out shapes with cookie cutters. You can use
other cookie decorations such as silver and
gold balls found in the cake decorating area
of the stores. Make a hole in the top and let
dry. It takes approx. 24 hrs to completely
dry. Thread a ribbon through the hole. These
are very fragrent but don't eat them.
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Wreath Puzzle
Ornament
submitted by Darcy Miller of New Dawson Springs Nursing Home, KY on November
25, 1999
Size: 6-10
Equipment:
Green construction paper, puzzle pieces, tacky
glue, green spray paint, newspaper, thin red
ribbon, decorative string.
Objective:
A fun way for clients to achieve a sense of
accoplishment and to include them in the decorating
process for Christmas.
Description:
Cut a circle from green construction paper
that measures approximately 3" in diameter.
Cut the middle out of the circle to leave a
wreath-like ring. Take puzzle pieces (I used
a puzzle that was missing pieces) and begin
gluing them onto the construction paper face
side up. Glue 2 more layers of puzzle pieces,
staggering the layers. Spray the wreath with
green spray paint(make sure you have plenty
of newspaper). While the paint is drying make
bows from the red ribbon. Then, glue the ribbon
to the front of the wreath and glue the decorative
string to the back so it can be hung from the
tree.
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Xmas
Card Ornament (activity
for individuals with dementia)
submitted by Brenda Dickinson,
R.T. of Life Enhancing Activity Program
on November 9, 1999 |
Size of Group:
6-10
Equipment:
Old xmas cards, scissors, tacky glue, green or
red felt, thin red or green ribbon, hole punch,
pen
Objective:
This activity is so easy that people with severe
dementia will enjoy. They will receive pleasure
looking at the colorful cards & feel successful
making an ornament for themselves or as a gift.
Description:
Put out a large number of old Xmas cars on a
table. Allow the residents, patients, etc. to
browse throught the cards & pick one they
like. Ask them to show the part of the card they
want cut out, such as Santa, xmas tree,etc...
Keep the size of the card appropriate for an
ornament. Trace the desired area with a dark
pen & have resident cut out if they are able
to. If not, the rec. ther. or act. dir. should
do. Glue felt to back of card & trim excess.
Punch hole on the top & put ribbon through
to make a loop to hang from tree. An instant
ornament & also makes a great gift for someone
to give.
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 On
the twelfth day of Christmas
Instruction:
Ask each person in the group at least one
question from the list below. If they answer
YES to one of the question, write their name
on the line beside the question.... then
go on to the next person and ask them another
question until the entire sheet is completed.
Important: a
person name can only appear once on this sheet.
On the 12th day
of Christmas....
1) have you ever
seen a real partridge on a pear tree? ________
2) do you still
believe in SANTA CLAUS? _______________________
3) have you ever
received a gift you really hated? What was
it? _______
4) have you ever
been hit in the head or face with a snow ball?
_______
5) have you ever
though you were going to die when skiing or
sled riding? ________
6) can you sing
the first lines to FROSTY THE SNOW MAN? Prove
it? ______
7) do you like fruit
cake? __________
8) have you ever
been kissed under a mistletoe? ____________
9) can you name
all of Santa's reindeers? _________________
10) do you know
what Santa's original hair color was? ______________
11) when you were
a kid, did you cry or were scared when you
had to sit on Santa's lap? _____
12) when you were
a kid, did you ever stay up all night trying
to catch Santa? ______________
When done, turn
this sheet to your group leader. |
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